MotorVehicleRegs.COM

CARB Unveils Plan for Future ZEV Requirements

On April 29th, CARB posted to its website a copy of the Staff presentation that will be given at the ZEV regulation workshop that is scheduled to occur next week in California on May 3.  Per the presentation, CARB is contemplating leaving the ZEV requirements basically unchanged through 2017 while establishing more aggressive ZEV mandate for the 2018-2025 timeframe.  As contemplated, CARB would require 2-5% of light vehicles sold in CA during the 2018-2021 timeframe be ZEVs and 5-20% of light vehicles sold in CA in the 2022-2025 timeframe be ZEVs.  Following the workshop scheduled for next week, as well as another planned for July, CARB will issue its official proposed in early October and then hold a Board hearing on the proposal mid-November.  For a copy of the CARB presentation, click here.

New DOE Report on Pathways to Cost-Effective Vehicle Electrification

A new report from DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory discusses three possible pathways to cost-effective vehicle electrification: 1) improving battery life, 2)  reducing battery cost, and 3) connecting to the grid more directly.  The report concludes that using current battery cost and life, PHEVs and EVs are not cost-effective for many different configurations. PHEVs with 10, 20, or 40 miles of electric range, with low or high electric power, with or without battery replacement, and with or without opportunity charging are all less cost-effective than conventional vehicles and HEVs. NREL says that EVs' cost-effectiveness improves with battery replacement and opportunity charging, but not enough to make them cost-effective.  

NREL says that one approach with current battery technology could be cost-effective.  That is, if an acceptable method for plugging in while traveling along the roadway can be devised, it may provide a cost-effective pathway to vehicle electrification. This approach benefits from the low electric fuel cost of a large battery without the high cost, cycling wear, weight, and efficiency loss. NREL states that this pathway requires infrastructure, but only along a small fraction of heavily traveled roadways to gain the same gasoline saving benefits as battery PHEVs.  The report additionally indicates that significant battery improvements can also provide cost-effective pathways to vehicle electrification. If today's battery energy cost component goes down from $700/kWh to $300/kWh, PHEVs start becoming cost-effective. PHEVs also become cost-effective if battery life improves by a factor of 10.


For a copy of the report, click here.

Canada Proposes Light Duty Vehicle GHG Standards for 2011 and Later Model Years

On April 17, 2010, Environment Canada issued a proposal to adopt light duty vehicle fleet average GHG standards for the 2011 and later model years.  Environment Canada intends to align the Canadian rules with those in the U.S. For a copy of the notice, click here.  

ZEV Regulation

On May 3, 2010, CARB staff will hold a workshop (in Sacramento and via webcast) to review the Board’s December 2009 directive to modify the ZEV regulation and to solicit public comments on a variety of new regulatory concepts.  

Workshop materials will be available on the ZEV website one week prior to the workshop.  For more information, see CARB Mail-Out #10-14, April 1, 2010.    

2012-2016MY CO2/CAFE Standards

On April 1, 2010, EPA and NHTSA published a joint final rule establishing GHG and CAFE standards for the 2012-2016 model years.  All documents pertaining to the rulemaking are online at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations.htm.